LOST TO YOU A.L JACKSON CONTENTS Copyright Also by A.L Jackson Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Also by A.L Jackson Afterword Connect with A.L Jackson online: About the Author Copyright © 2018 A.L Jackson Books Inc Second Edition All rights reserved Except as permitted under the U.S Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior permission of the publisher Please protect this art form by not pirating A.L Jackson www.aljacksonauthor.com Cover Design by RBA Designs Photo by ??? Formatting by Mesquite Business Services The characters and events in this book are fictitious Names, characters, places, and plots are a product of the author’s imagination Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author Print ISBN: 978-1-946420-16-9 eBook ISBN: 978-1-983404-50-4 Confessions of the Heart – NEW SERIES COMING SOON More of You All of Me Pieces of Us Fight for Me Series Show Me the Way Follow Me Back Lead Me Home Bleeding Stars Series A Stone in the Sea Drowning to Breathe Where Lightning Strikes Wait Stay Stand The Regret Series Lost to You Take This Regret If Forever Comes The Closer to You Series Come to Me Quietly Come to Me Softly Come to Me Recklessly Stand-Alone Novels Pulled When We Collide Hollywood Chronicles A collaboration with USA Today Bestselling Author, Rebecca Shea One Wild Night One Wild Ride – Coming Soon For more details on A.L Jackson’s books head over to her website www.aljacksonauthor.com ONE CHRISTIAN SHE SAT ACROSS FROM ME, this beautiful girl who had to be both the cutest and sexiest thing I’d ever seen A rich tenor rang in her words, this modest kind of confidence that sucked me in, while her cheeks seemed to continually light with a gentle flush when she said anything that embarrassed her in the slightest way A sublime contradiction, self-assured and shy How ironic it was her But really, I shouldn’t have been all that surprised I always knew what I wanted the moment it saw it Shifting against the hard wood of the chair, I leaned forward and struggled to pay attention to the words she spoke as I stared, mesmerized by that perfect mouth One elbow was propped on the table, her head tilted to the side as she supported it with her fingertips Sun-streaked waves of dark blonde hair fell down around one side of her heart-shaped face as she thumbed through the thick textbook resting on the table between us Concentration edged her brow, her pouty lips pulling into a thin line whenever she became engrossed in something she read “Do you think you’re up for this?” she asked, sounding overwhelmed “Definitely.” No question I was up for all kinds of things Last night, I’d shared two short emails with her, and we’d arranged to meet at this little café during the time we both had a break in our classes Of course, at that time, I had no idea who my American Government study partner would turn out to be The little description she had given, I’d scribbled on the note that was now crumpled in my front pocket Elizabeth Ayers, long, blonde hair At the bottom, I’d jotted down her cell phone number Yeah, I’d be holding on to that A groan of apparent dread slipped through her lips, and the sound almost caused me to release one of my own “Are you sure? Because have you looked through this syllabus?” She glanced up, then back at the small stapled pack of papers laid out between us “There’s going to be a ton of memorization I’m pretty sure this is going to be a pretty difficult class,” she said seriously, completely focused on the information she was devouring as her eyes roved over the page “You have no idea how happy I was to find that sign-up sheet for a study partner I don’t know about you, but I can’t afford to get a bad grade in this class.” She scribbled something in her notebook, licked her lips, rambled mostly to herself And I just stared Fifteen minutes ago, before I’d walked through the door of the café and seen her, I’d been all wrapped up in this grade, too I’d been just as worried about who my partner would be I’d figured it’d be my luck to get paired with some loser who would take advantage of my time and my hard work I’d have dealt with it, too, sucked it up and worked my ass off because I had no other choice There was no way in hell I’d give my dad another reason to ride me because I had a grade slipping below his approval But no, I’d walked through the door and it was her Since then, I’d had a really hard time focusing on anything but the fluid lilt of her voice and the amber warmth of her soft brown eyes Shock had frozen me in the doorway when I walked through the door of the café and was met with the face of the same girl I hadn’t been able to shake from my mind since the first day of our American Government class last week When the class had been dismissed, I gathered my things and stood to leave Looking up to make my way down the aisle of steps, I’d glimpsed just the side of her face when she’d cast a furtive glance behind her as she’d been heading out the door My breath had caught Since then that face had slipped in and out of my mind, creeping into my thoughts, making recurrent appearances in my dreams My reaction to her had been just as strong when I walked through the door today Girls didn’t do this me And she’d managed it twice Sitting across from her now, I knew I had to have her Even if it was only once Pausing, she looked up at me, her eyes narrowed in what appeared both humor and mild agitation “Christian, did you hear anything I said?” she asked, her gaze wandering my face for an answer “Please tell me you’re not going to make me do all this work myself.” I attempted to shake off the visceral reaction that had my body itching to take what I instinctively knew would be mine “Of course, I heard you Class is going to be a ton of work I’m good with that.” I grinned at her “And no, I’m not going to make you do all the work.” I nudged her foot under the table with mine, flashing the same smile I’d learned years ago was the surest way to get what I wanted And what I wanted right then was her “What kind of guy do you think I am?” Heat rose to her cheeks I could almost feel her warmth radiating across my face in confused waves, this sweet shyness that seemed to be lacking from every other girl I’d run across since I came to this city Lacking in every girl I’d come into contact with in the last four years, really I could feel the attraction that mingled with it, though it was flanked by a strong current of self-preservation “I haven’t figured that out yet,” she said as she straightened and pitched her head to the side She slowly tapped the backside of her pen on her notepad, of his body as he cautiously began to move within me Pressed together, he kissed me deeper, our mouths filled with longing as I opened to him, body and soul I ran my hands over his shoulders and down his back The muscles were rigid and strained as they bowed and twisted as he worked over me Tentatively I moved, lifting my hips to meet him Christian slipped one hand down my side, his fingertips digging into the ridges between my ribs A smooth palm cupped my bottom before he flattened it over my hip and ran it down to my knee He tucked me closer and hooked my leg over his hip Pulling back, he filled me, deliberate and strong I gasped and clung to his shoulders as I began to match him move for move “Oh, God, Elizabeth.” His fingers dug deep into my thigh Incoherent mutterings of pleasure slipped from his mouth to mine, and I devoured them while he devoured me That feeling built again Everything was frantic, the love that solidified this bond between us, the sounds that filled his room, mumbled words of devotion, every desperate touch I knew he was getting close His movements were quick, jerky, his breaths clipped and labored “Elizabeth uh you feel so good So good.” This time he was begging and I was clinging because I needed more His hand slipped between us because Christian knew I curved my arm around his head, and he buried his face in the crook of my neck And I was lost Lost to him Pleasure rushed, surged and crashed, saturated every inch of my body Christian jerked and cried out in my neck, held himself rigid before all the strength left him and he collapsed on me We lay like that for countless minutes, our worlds shaken Christian rolled to his side, taking me with him He placed his palm on my cheek, caressed this thumb over the edge of my lips He gazed at me as if I were the center of his world There was nothing I could have done to stop this when I realized he’d become mine “I’m going to love you forever, Elizabeth Ayers.” I looked up at the man who now held everything, my trust, my future, the nature of my heart Reaching up, I ran my fingers through the thickness of his black hair “Don’t ever leave me, Christian.” Christian frowned, his blue eyes sincere as he leaned forward to whisper at my forehead “I couldn’t.” TWELVE FOUR YEARS LATER CHRISTIAN “CHRISTIAN, let go.” She struggled to untangle herself from my arms that were wrapped tight around her waist The only thing it did was cause me to tighten my hold She giggled and pushed against my chest My words came muffled into the crook of her neck where I pressed my mouth against her skin “No, stay.” I didn’t want her to be anywhere else “I wish I could, but I have to get to class.” She pulled back, and I was unable to stop my smile as I looked into the warmth of those honeyed eyes God, I loved her so much That hadn’t lessened in the four years we’d been together It’d only grown I pretended to pout but released my hold, allowing her to roll away from me A faint smile tugged at my mouth as I turned to lie on my stomach There was nothing else I could but watch her dress in the late evening light filtering in through the blinds of my bedroom window Elizabeth leaned down to pull her jeans onto her long, toned legs Locks of dark-blonde hair cascaded in messy waves over her shoulder, obstructing her small, heart-shaped face Though every line, dimple, and curve had been burned into my mind Everything about her made me think of honey The honey tinge of her eyes, the sun kiss of her skin, the sweetness of her mouth I should have known the moment I met her that she was perfect for me I should have known it with the way she’d stolen my breath the second I’d walked through the doors of that small café and found the girl sitting there waiting for me—my study partner that had become my everything She was not only beautiful but one of the most intelligent, compassionate people I’d ever met Over the last four years, I’d gotten to know her in the best of ways In every way Our lives had meshed Become one Neither of us wanted it any other way We were so different, yet so much alike Like me, she had continued to work her way toward law school next year But while I’d become a real estate attorney so I could one day partner in my father’s law firm, Elizabeth would be going into family law, focusing on children’s rights She wasn’t in it for the money She thought it was the best way for her to become an advocate for those who could not protect themselves She still left me in awe every day “Are you sure you have to go?” She grinned over at me “Aren’t you the one who’s always saying we have to stay focused on our studies?” I smirked at her “I changed my mind.” Light laughter filtered from her mouth “I don’t think so, Christian Not today Besides, I have work first thing in the morning Matthew will kill me if I end up crawling in that bed with you and don’t show up for my shift tomorrow.” “Forget Matthew,” I teased Maybe I should have been jealous of Matthew He’d become one of Elizabeth’s best friends, and they studied together often after getting to know each other at work when Elizabeth had started at a small restaurant a couple of years ago But I wasn’t With the way she looked at me, there was no questioning her devotion to me She was good True I guessed I’d known it that first day all those years ago when I’d listened to the passion that had come from Elizabeth’s mouth Honestly, it’d made me question myself—what I believed in and what I lived for Over time, that answer had become clear Elizabeth She made me a better person The best part was our goals perfectly aligned Our lives planned out She was serious about school and committed to her future, but she still took time to enjoy every day of her life, something I’d had a hard time balancing at first My father had always pushed me to do the best, to be the best Before I’d met her, I’d become arrogant Conceited Completely wrapped up in myself Elizabeth had challenged my self-serving attitude from the very start Elizabeth I laughed at the boy who grinned at me from his bed I’d never been one for frivolous things—a fling with a beautiful, blackhaired, blue-eyed boy included I’d thought that was the only thing he’d be A fling That he’d break my heart Now I just shook my head at what he’d suggested, no longer surprised by his demand By the fact that he always wanted me to stay Still, I fought the well of unease that built up inside of me Nerves rattling through, wondering how in the world I was going to tell him Terrified of the way he might react and excited at the same time “I’m not forgetting Matthew That would be rude Besides, I need the money, and if I stay here with you, you know what’s going to happen.” “That’s exactly what I was hoping for.” Another one of those grins If I stayed any longer, he would definitely have his way I shoved my feet into my shoes “I need to go home.” “Then move in with me.” Another shot of laughter rippled out, but this one with pure disbelief “I think you already know the answer to that.” “I want a different one.” Christian had asked me so many times to move in with him I couldn’t help but find the idea of waking up next to him each morning incredibly inviting But that didn’t matter I’d always quietly refused, committed to the picture I had painted in my mind from childhood It was one of a new house with a new husband, a place where I would become mother and he would become father, though now I found that picture skewed Again, I glanced over my shoulder at Christian as I prepared to leave A wave of guilt washed over me for keeping it from him for so long I’d known for a week Every day, I intended to tell him, but each time I opened my mouth, the words just wouldn’t come Even with the progress I’d seen him make, growing from the self-centered teenager I’d met our first year here at Columbia to the kind-hearted man I knew now, Christian still had his life mapped out A plan he intended to follow I wasn’t exactly sure of how he was going to handle this news I wasn’t concerned about our relationship I felt confident in our commitment to one another We were solid What I was worried about was how much stress this would place on him This wasn’t exactly what I’d expected of my last year of under-grad before law school, either I was just better at accepting what life threw my way But we’d figure it out I knew we would Before I spiraled into worry, I grabbed my backpack, slung it over my shoulder, and leaned down, planting a quick kiss on Christian’s lips “Bye I’ll see you tomorrow.” He returned the kiss, lingering a little longer than I had, stirring those feelings inside of me Making me want to say forget it like he’d suggested and crawl right back in bed with him “I’ll miss you,” he murmured “Miss you, too.” Forcing myself to turn around, I flew out the door of Christian’s third-floor apartment With each step, my feet grew heavier as my mind wandered Wondering about the best way to tell him How I was going to tell him Something in my stomach souring when I thought of it being a betrayal that I hadn’t let him in This was just as important to him as it was to me By the time I reached the last set of stairs leading to the ground floor, I realized I just needed to get it out Tell him before I let it fester Before I made it dirty Before it became a sin I turned and raced back up the stairs I had a key, but for some reason, I felt the need to knock as another rush of nerves wound around my chest Sucking in a deep breath, I rapped loudly on his door Christian A loud knock thundered on the main door I jerked, not expecting anyone, quick to climb out of bed and pull on my jeans from the floor I ran a hand through the thick mass of my black hair and ambled out of my room and toward the door Peering through the peephole, I caught sight of Elizabeth standing on the other side Confusion hit me Why in the world was she standing outside my door, asking permission to enter? Like she didn’t belong there Frowning, I swung open the door “Elizabeth, what are you doing?” “I need to talk to you.” The distinct anxiety laced through the words sent a jolt of fear tumbling through me Quickly, I pulled her inside and shut the door, spinning around to face her “What’s wrong?” Obviously, there was something wrong, or she wouldn’t have been standing in my apartment, staring at her feet with rigid arms held over her chest “I’m pregnant.” It was a whisper toward the floor A breath I strained to hear her To decipher them To make sense of what she was saying Because there was no way she’d said what I thought she did Dread sank to the bottom of me when she finally brought her gaze to me Her honey-eyes watery and afraid My hands began to shake, and I ran them nervously through my hair again as I allowed myself to really hear her To process the implication of what she was saying A baby? That would ruin everything—everything I’d worked for Everything she’d worked for Every plan we’d ever made My chest tightened, and for the first time in my life, I was sure I was going to have a panic attack There was a part of me that wanted to demand to know how she could have been so careless That was right before the rational side of me knew it had been just as much my fault as hers It wasn’t like she’d gotten herself into this alone It was that same rational side that saw her shaking, and I was struck with the need to comfort her To tell her it would be okay It was the same side that told me not to panic We had options It didn’t have to be that big of a deal “Hey,” I murmured softly, taking a step forward to wrap her in my arms I ran my fingers through her long hair to soothe her She pressed her face into my chest and released an audible sigh of relief “It’s okay,” I whispered calmly into the side of her head “It’s okay We’ll get it taken care of.” Elizabeth jerked back as if she’d been slapped Those eyes searched my face “Christian, you don’t really expect me to that, you?” she asked, incredulous As much as I loved her, there were times when she just couldn’t see straight through her idealistic mind Of course, they’d talked about her beliefs before I knew her viewpoint But that was before we had been thrown into the situation It changed things It was the only way “Elizabeth you have to.” “No.” How could she be so irrational? How could she make this decision for both of us? How could she stand there and ruin everything? Anger suddenly slammed me from all sides, and I stepped back and released the words I had no idea how deeply I’d regret “Me or the baby It shouldn’t be that hard of a choice.” the end Continue on with Christian and Elizabeth’s epic love story in TAKE THIS REGRET Confessions of the Heart – NEW SERIES COMING SOON More of You All of Me Pieces of Us Fight for Me Series Show Me the Way Follow Me Back Lead Me Home Bleeding Stars Series A Stone in the Sea Drowning to Breathe Where Lightning Strikes Wait Stay Stand The Regret Series Lost to You Take This Regret If Forever Comes The Closer to You Series Come to Me Quietly Come to Me Softly Come to Me Recklessly Stand-Alone Novels Pulled When We Collide Hollywood Chronicles A collaboration with USA Today Bestselling Author, Rebecca Shea One Wild Night One Wild Ride – Coming Soon For more details on A.L Jackson’s books head over to her website www.aljacksonauthor.com AFTERWORD Did you enjoy Lost to You? I invite you to sign up for mobile updates to receive short but sweet updates on all my latest releases Text “aljackson” to 33222 (US Only) or Sign up for my newsletter http://smarturl.it./NewsFromALJackson Watch for my upcoming series, Confessions of the Heart, coming Fall 2018! Want to know when it’s live? Sign up here: http://smarturl.it./NewsFromALJackson CONNECT WITH A.L JACKSON ONLINE: Page http://smarturl.it/ALJacksonPage Newsletter http://smarturl.it/NewsFromALJackson Angels http://smarturl.it/AmysAngelsRock Book Bub http://smarturl.it/ALJacksonBookbub Text “aljackson” to 33222 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news ABOUT THE AUTHOR A.L Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, BLEEDING STARS, as well as the newest FIGHT FOR ME novels Watch for her new series, CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART, coming Fall 2018 If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book Be sure not to miss new releases and sales from A.L Jackson - Sign up to receive her newsletter http://smarturl.it/NewsFromALJackson or text “aljackson” to 33222 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news @aljacksonauthor aljacksonauthor www.aljacksonauthor.com ... His voice dropped low, hinting at humor and something else I didn’t want to recognize “What, you didn’t believe me when I said I was going to spend the evening studying with you? You? ??re going to learn to trust me, you know.” I shook my head, trying not to laugh... able to touch her was complete torture “I’ll see you around,” she said, taking a step toward the door She twisted to look at me, walking backward as she spoke “If you don’t find anything better to. .. Where Lightning Strikes Wait Stay Stand The Regret Series Lost to You Take This Regret If Forever Comes The Closer to You Series Come to Me Quietly Come to Me Softly Come to Me Recklessly Stand-Alone Novels Pulled